Digital Democracy: How the Internet Shapes Legal Rights and Political Engagement
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This essay examines how the internet and digital technologies havetransformed UK democracy, focusing on online political participation, freedomof expression, and censorship. It explores new forms of engagement, fromsocial media and e‑petitions to online campaigns and (prospective) e‑voting,and assesses how UK law has adapted. We analyze the existing legalframework (ECHR Art. 10, Human Rights Act 1998, and UK statutes like theMalicious Communications Act), and how recent policies (such as the OnlineSafety Act 2023 and proposed regulations) impact free speech online. Theessay highlights both opportunities (broader access to information andpolitical tools) and challenges (misinformation, digital divides, surveillance,platform filtering), emphasizing the need to balance open discourse with rightsprotections in a digital age.
